Where Economics and Sociology Collide, Misconduct and the NFL

Sport presents a good empirical setting to explore larger economic and societal phenomenon (Day, Gordon, & Fink, 2012). One popular area is the area of misconduct, defined as behavior by an entity such as an organization or individual that has been judged by a social control agent to cross the boundary of acceptable and unacceptable (Greve, Palmer, & Pozner, 2010).

This proposed research highlights both individual and organization misconduct in the National Football League (NFL). The NFL sought to implement and modify policies looking to redefine the line versus unacceptable and acceptable behavior of its players and employees both on- and off-the-field. Recent research explored impacts such as draft position (e.g., Palmer, Duhan, & Soebbing, 2015), player days on the free agent market (e.g., Allen, 2015), and coaching dismissals (Foreman, 2017). The purpose of the proposed study looks to highlight various economic and sociological factors that play a role in the likelihood of engaging in misconduct, punishment by the social control agent (i.e., the commissioner), and the potential organizational consequences of misconduct from 2000-2017. In doing so, the research highlights the role in which both economics and sociology play in further understanding behavior within sport and larger society.